WHOA! Japanese artist narrates her adventures in Malta in the coolest way possible
Every year, Malta temporarily welcomes thousands of English students over the summer period, but for one particular Japanese student, Tomoko, Malta has transformed from a working holiday destination into a new home base chock-full of inspiration.
Life in disorderly Malta is undeniably different to the methodical structure one is accustomed to in Japan, her native country. In her manga illustrations, Tomoko observes these nuances with a touch of humour and childlike glee, through a series of tiny manga drawings.
The Japanese national narrates her experiences in dealing with various aspects of local life, such as public transport drama, hairdressing mishaps and awkward-yet-quaint shop dealings.
In one series, she hilariously narrates her struggles to find easy-to-use clingfilm and her gratitude at being gifted a Japanese version of the product.
In another series, Tomoko passes a comment on shopkeep. “When I see a car that is very clean, I think it’s owner is very rich”, she writes.
Tomoko’s snippets of her Maltese adventures come either subtitled or captioned in both Japanese and English to provide further context to her illustrations to friends in her native country as well as those also residing on the island.
Manga drawings of her life in Malta are not Tomoko’s only form of artistic expression. She sporadically posts little pocket drawings of beautiful Maltese architecture in her distinct and colourful style.
Who else is looking forward to seeing more illustrated adventures from Tomoko?